Out of the Realms, Into the Galaxy
by Mr.Deacon
Summary: The Prince of Asgard has been banished from his home for disrupting a centuries long peace. Now, he finds himself stranded in a galaxy he is unfamiliar with, and joins up with the unlikeliest of characters in order to defeat a certain dark lord. Thor/KotOR Crossover.
1. Taris

**This fic is one of three challenge fics I plan on writing in the future. Basically, I was told to make a fic where instead of Earth, Thor is transported to the Star Wars universe. However, no one ever said I had to do the movies, so, this fic is set during _Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic_. So, 4,000 years before the movies.**

**I, unfortunately, do not own Star Wars or Thor. They, and any related content, belong to George Lucas and Marvel, respectively.**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Taris**

Carth Onasi looked up as the door to the escape pod bay opened up, revealing the young woman that he had been communicating with over the com. Once he got a good look at her, he realized a few things. One, she was a Chiss. Two, she was beautiful. She had long, dark blue hair and bright red eyes, with clear, smooth skin and clean lips that had no cracks or pealings. Her hair was currently tied back into a ponytail, and there was a rather large combat sword gripped fiercely in her hand.

"Hester Bintrano?" Carth asked, making sure this was the right woman.

The woman nodded, and spoke in a soft, yet serious voice. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Carth said, activating several icons on the terminal. "You've made it just in time. There's only one active escape pod left."

Currently, the _Endar Spire_, the ship the two were on, was being assailed by heavy Sith firepower. All other crewmembers besides them were either dead or already abandoned ship. The most important passenger, Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, had just been safely jettisoned from the ship by Carth, who remained behind to ensure that everyone else escaped safely. Unfortunately, the Chiss female standing before him was the only soldier left that wasn't killed by the Sith boarding party.

Activating the pod, Carth watched as the pod opened up and then ran over to it. He glanced out, and waved for his fellow soldier to enter.

"Come on! We can hide out on the planet below."

Hester seemed to hesitate for a moment, eying Carth wearily and tightening her grip on the sword. Finally, she nodded, and started making her way over to the pod.

Suddenly, the darkness of space was lit up by a blinding orange flash, which came in through the windows of the ship. Hester and Carth blinked in surprise, but moments later, a powerful beam tore through the_ Endar Spire_, only several meters from where Hester was standing. The shockwave from the blast hurled Hester forward, smashing her head right into the rim of the escape pod opening, knocking her out instantly.

Carth grabbed Hester by the arm and dragged her prone form into the pod. He looked up with wide eyes as the mysterious beam tore the _Endar Spire_ in half, before vanishing completely. Quickly, he pulled Hester into the pod and closed it, and as the severed half of the ship they were in drifted away, Carth activated the pod via controls and strapped himself and Hester in.

In a flash, the pod shot out of what was left of the Spire, and rocketed down to the surface of the nearby planet, Taris. Behind them, the darkness of space was illuminated briefly once again as the Sith battle fleet reduced the remains of the _Endar Spire_ to galactic dust.

* * *

In the Undercity of Taris, hell was brewing. Gammorrean slave hunters and bloodthirsty Rakghouls roamed in search of unsuspecting victims, while the Outcasts fled and hid for safety. In the darkest slums of the Undercity, a young girl, perhaps sixteen years of age, was roaming aimlessly, lost and terrified.

Shaleena had only wondered from the village out of boredom. She hadn't mean to stray so far. Now she was lost. She could hear the hisses of the Rakghouls, and started crying.

"Oh, Force, help me..."

Suddenly, there was movement, followed by a inhuman hiss. Shaleena's first instinct was to run, and she did. She picked up the pace when she heard the sound of clawed feet scratching against the dirt, a sound that picked up quickly the more Shaleena ran. In the distance, she could see the gate to the Outcast village. She only prayed that Trewin would be generous enough to open the gate, even with the Rakghouls so close.

Shaleena screamed when a clawed hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her by the ankle. She fell forward, falling face first onto the ground. She groaned in pain, and then started screaming as she was forcefully dragged away. She dug her fingernails into the dirt, trying to pull away as the Rakghoul dragged her into a dark corner, hissing hungrily in anticipation for its meal. Shaleena frantically tried to free herself, kicking at the Rakghoul, when she noticed a piece of sharpened rubble. She quickly grabbed it, and thrust it dagger-like into the Rakghoul's arm.

The Rakghoul shrieked as yellowish bile-like blood seeped from its wound, and Shaleena took the moment to kick herself free and ran. Moments after she did, though, the Rakghoul shrieked in rage and pounced at her, pinning her underneath it.

Shaleena screamed frantically as the Rakghoul hissed and snapped at her, pushing up at its chest, trying to keep its drooling maw away from her. As it was inches from her face, there was a brilliant flash in the sky. Shaleena and the Rakghoul paused, the Rakghoul looking back up in the direction of the sky, cocking its head, curiously.

Then, without warning, a pillar of swirling energy shot down and crashed against the ground, only mere inches away from where the Rakghoul was pinning Shaleena. Not used to the great light, the Rakghoul hissed and shielded its beady black eyes, forgetting about Shaleena and scurrying off into the shadows.

Shaleena backed away, gaping at the spectacle in shock. Almost as suddenly as it began, the anomaly ceased, and Shaleena blinked at what she saw in its place.

A man stood there, wearing a thin, silver tunic with a red neckstrap, and dark paints and boots. He faltered slightly when the light faded, and he immediately started looking around, his eyes darting back and forth. He saw that he was in some dark decrepit waste, and his eyes soon fell upon Shaleena. At the sight of her, the man's eyes lifted up, and he blinked in surprise.

Then, he looked up. "Father? Father?! Heimdall? Can you hear me? Open the Bifrost!"

Shaleena blinked at the man, wondering if he was mad. _Where did he even come from?_

"Father! Answer me!" The man bellowed. He then spun around to face Shaleena, pointing a furious finger. "You. What realm is this?"

Shaleena's mouth opened, but no words came out. She merely shook her head helplessly.

"Alfheim?" The man demanded. "Niflheim?"

"I-I don't unders-"

The man suddenly yelled out in pain when out of nowhere, the same Rakghoul from before jumped at him, clinging to his back and sinking its foul teeth into his shoulder. The man clenched his teeth as he reached back and pried the Rakghoul from his shoulder, throwing it away. The Rakghoul landed safely on its feet, and hissed menacingly at the man.

The man studied his wound, and bared his teeth when he saw the wound. He glared at the creature, and gave a warrior-like yell as he rushed at it. The Rakghoul shrieked as it charged, and Shaleena shielded her eyes, unable to bring herself to watch.

However, she didn't expect to hear the Rakghoul shriek in pain, and immediately opened her eyes. Her mouth fell open in shock when she saw that the man had swiftly evaded the Rakghoul's attack and drove his knee right into its gut. The Rakghoul stumbled over, and the man delivered a swift punch that caused the Rakghoul's head to fly back, and spew up yellowish bile. The force also knocked the Rakghoul down, and the man roared as he brought his foot down, crushing the Rakghoul's head into a pulpy mess.

Breathing heavily, the man turned to face Shaleena, who was looking at him with a mixture of fear and amazement. The man looked ready to say something, when his vision suddenly became hazy, and he started faltering. Then, with a groan, he fell over onto the ground.

Shaleena instantly ran over to him, and dragged him carefully back towards the village.

* * *

**And the adventure begins for both parties. To end this chapter, I'm gonna point out a few points about this story:**

**1\. This story does not feature any of the other Avengers besides Thor. In fact, the only elements I plan to include that are from the Marvel Cinematic Universe are that in the Thor movies. So characters like Loki and Odin will be present.**

**2\. Darth Revan is a Chiss in this, because I was always bothered by how the only species offered to you in Knights of the Old Republic was human.**

**3\. In this, Earth is not part of the Nine Realms, Taris is. Like Earth, the Asgardians call Taris Midgard, but it is extremely different than how the Asgardians last visited it, as Taris was not always covered in cities. Also, in this story, Taris is the original home planet of the Humans, so the Asgardians will be surprised to see various other alien races present.**

**4\. The Realms, Asgard especially, live by an isolationists society and have not interacted with the Republic. Plus, their worlds are remote, and the Republic knows nothing about them except for ancient Tarisian legends.**

**5\. I have no real dates as to when I post new chapters, so there may be some waiting periods. Sorry.**

**6\. Some characters that seemed to play minor roles in the game will have bigger roles in this story.**

**I look forward to the reviews and comments from all readers. Constructive criticism is also welcome, but no flames :|**


	2. Up and Under

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters and locations you are able to identify in this story. There will be a few OCs, but nothing major.

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Up and Under**

_Hester floated aimlessly in a dark void, unable to turn her head or even any part of her body, for they were not even there. Her conciousness was all that she had control over. She thought she would continue to drift, until the darkness around her took shape, and a vision appeared before her. A human, female, tall, dark brown hair, blueish-gray eyes. She wore beautiful robes that looked geared towards agility and combat. Gripped in her hands was a yellow bladed lightsaber. With great movement, she cut down a cloaked figure wielding a red colored saber. Hester could tell immediately that her opponent was Sith. As the Jedi, as Hester guessed, cut down the Sith warrior, she stared ahead at a dark figure looming before her._

_Hester caught a brief glimpse of this new figure. It was like a spirit, dark, shadowy, blending in with the darkness, with only the light of its red saber casting any visibility on it. The two faced down each other, before rushing at one another and clashing their sabers._

Hester woke up with a start, and gripped her head, which seemed to be throbbing with pain. She put her face in her hands, groaning.

"Good to see you up, instead of thrashing about in your sleep."

Hester started, and looked up to see a man. Carth Onasi. She recognized him immediately from the _Endar Spire_. Looking around, Hester saw that they were in some kind of an apartment building. Feeling something soft beneath her, Hester saw that she was resting on a small bed. Looking around, she realized it was the only bed in the apartment, while the opposite corner had a couch and two chairs circled around a holoprojector.

Carth cleared his throat, getting her attention again. "You may or may not remember, but I'm-"

"Carth Onasi, yes," Hester said, nodding. Carth was once again surprised by the soft, yet authoritative collectivism in her tone. "You were stationed on the _Endar Spire_ as Bastila Shan's second-in-command. Did anyone else...?"

Carth looked sullen at that moment, and shook his head. "No. Just us and Bastila."

Hester's face was unreadable for a few moments, before she sighed. "I see. Well, I am Hester. But you probably already knew that."

Hester stood up, but the moment she did, she felt a sudden chill, and realized that she was in her underwear. Carth cleared his throat and looked away slightly, a faint blush spreading across his face, though Hester was not the least bit embarrassed. Confused yes, but her character was to far hardened to be embarrassed by simple displays of nudity.

Nonetheless, she narrowed her blood-red eyes suspiciously at the Republic soldier. "I was wearing armor when we escaped the_ Spire_. Where is my uniform?"

"Erm... Well, you were bleeding really badly, and I couldn't treat that cut with your armor on. The escape pod didn't have much in the way of a med kit, so your thermals had to take the place of gauze. You've been in and out of consciousness for the last three days. I figured you'd be more comfortable in just that than your armor."

"I see," Hester said again, her hand ghosting to her side where she vaguely remembered the pain from the wound. "I guess I owe you my life, then. Thank you."

Carth immediately disagreed. "You don't owe me anything, really. I was just doing my duty."

"So you say. But the Chiss never tarnish a debt." Hester retorted. "Where is my uniform?"

Carth motioned towards a small footlocker near Hester's bed. "In there."

Hester nodded and as she opened the locker and removed her uniform, Carth spoke again. "I had to remove the Republic emblams though, in case we were discovered by the Sith."

Hester paused, and glanced at Carth. "The Sith?"

Carth nodded. "Taris is under Sith patrol. They blockaded the entire planet a day after we arrived to find Bastila and keep her from escaping the planet."

Hester spoke back as she slipped into her uniform. "Yes, you said she escaped as well. I have to ask though, why is she such an important asset in all this? I thought she was just our commanding officer?"

"You obviously weren't well informed during your brief service on the ship." Carth said, smirking slightly. "Bastila's not a Republic soldier. She's a Jedi, probably one of the best around. She has this unique ability called battle meditation that allows her to strengthen the will of entire armies while weakening that of the enemy. It was this ability that helped the Jedi kill Darth Revan, so the Sith view her as a major threat and seek to capture and or kill her at any cost."

Hester's eyes were wide for just a moment, before she turned serious again. "Well. I guess that does qualify as a valuable asset."

"Exactly, and for the sake of the Republic war effort, we have to find her."

"But how are you so sure she's still alive? She may have escaped the _Endar Spire_, but she may not have survived the crash."

"I don't," Carth sighed. "But she's the Republic's best chance at stopping Malak, so I'd like to believe she's still alive."

"Then we better start looking for her," Hester said, now fully clothed and gripping a sharp Republic vibrosword. A blaster pistol was positioned firmly in its holster on her belt. She had pulled her dark blue hair back in a ponytail, and looked ready for combat.

Carth fought back against a blush as he stared at her, but managed to retain his composure. "Glad you see reason. Personally, I'm glad you're here to help. I read your service record back on the _Endar Spire_. You know a large abundance of alien languages, you had the highest combat and field scores out of any of the crewmembers, and you only just recently graduated from the academy. Very impressive."

For the first time, Hester cracked a smile, albeit a small one. "Thank you. I'll be sure to put my skills to appropriate use here."

"Alright then, soldier," Carth said. "Let's move out."

The two exited the apartment, entering the hallway of the complex. As they exited, Carth glanced at Hester. "The Sith occupation is heavy, so let's try not to attract any unwanted attention."

"Right you alien scum. Everybody get up against the wall! This is a raid!"

The pair stopped and stared at the small Sith patrol that was holding the complex's inhabitants, all non-human, at gunpoint.

Hester glanced at Carth, eyebrow cocked. "You were saying?"

* * *

Shaleena stood at the holdings pens where the sickly were held, staring intently through the fence at the comatose blond stranger huddled up on the corner, covered by a dirty blanket. She did her best to divert her attention away from the three figures that lay convulsing on the opposite corner, the Rakghoul disease already infesting their bodies with no hope of rescue.

That man, however, had been bitten almost three days ago, and had yet to show any signs of infection or mutation. In fact, the bite wound had almost completely healed up.

"No human has ever healed from a Rakghoul's bite!" Bayanei, the village's doctor had said in astonishment. It was true though. There were few sentients that have ever recovered from the Rakghoul disease, such as the Gamorreans that prowled the nearby sewers. Humans, however, never recovered from the infection. The fact that this seemingly human man was healing from the infection arose some suspicion that he was in fact not entirely human.

That was a suspicion that Shaleena was leaning towards, especially given the nature of his sudden appearance. None of the other outcasts could believe the tale that the girl had shared, that a bright light, bright enough to illuminate the foreboding darkness of the Undercity, dropped this man into their midst. Logically it was impossible.

Not only that, but the words he spouted following his arrival included mention of planets that Shaleena had never even heard of. Despite living on Taris her whole life, she had some knowledge of the galaxy as told by the village elder, Rukil. None of the planets the old man spoke of were named anything like Alfheim and Nornheim. She felt inclined to ask Gendar or somebody about such places, just to ease her curiosity, but something kept her from leaving this man's presence. He saved her life, and she couldn't just leave him alone to die.

That is, if he would die.

She continued to stare at the man, her eyebrows furrowing. "Who are you?"

* * *

"We've interfered."

Odin blinked in surprise, and turned to face the one who spoke. Heimdall, gatekeeper of the Bifrost Bridge and the ever vigilant overseer of the Nine Realms. His bright orange eyes stared expressionlessly at the great void, which was alight with stars and celestial bodies.

"I am sorry? What do you mean, gatekeeper?"

"Midgard. It and all of its other associate worlds will be affected by what we have done. We have not interacted with the mortals, or any of the other races outside of Yggdrasil, in centuries. Our return to their world will have consequences even I cannot hope to predict."

Odin frowned. "Thor must make his own path if he is to learn humility. If that means cavorting with these aliens, then so be it."

"But at what cost, AllFather?" Heimdall said, actually turning to face his king. "Thor has forever known Asgard. The mortal world is vastly different. Unlike Asgard, it stems beyond Yggdrasil. To other planets, races, stars. He will be lost. Alone."

"Funny," Odin said. "Frigga said those exact same words to me. I have considered this, Heimdall. Thor will be lost, but hopefully, it will only be for a time."

Heimdall studied the AllFather, the man he swore to follow, and his oldest friend from when they were children. "There is more to this, isn't there. This is about the war."

Odin's lips grew tight, and he gave a sigh. "For years we have watched the boiling conflict between good and evil, and have not bothered to interfere. Frigga and Tyr have been receiving... premonitions. Of a future bathed in darkness. We had thought it to be signs of Ragnarok, but now we are not so sure. There is something dark in the unexplored regions of the universe, and it is linked to this world that is brewing outside the safety of the great tree. My hope is that if we make ourselves known once more-"

"Then perhaps we will find this darkness before it reveals itself," Heimdall finished, understanding dawning upon him.

Odin nodded. Heimdall spoke again. "I can see your reasoning, but Thor is exiled at the moment. It is said by your law we cannot interfere with the banished unless their sentence is lifted."

"Then we will wait," Odin said, returning his gaze to the stars. "And see what transpires."

* * *

**That's the end of chapter two. I realize it's short, but this story will have a slow start before some of the more exciting things start happening. Hopefully there will be more character development in the next chapter.**

**crod42: This looks very promising. I wish you luck with this story. Perhaps, as a suggestion for future chapters, you could perhaps not have Loki be irredeemable like he sort of is in the movies. I can't wait to see where this goes.**

Thank you :) that's nice of you to say. And don't worry. I like Loki. He will play a role in this, and it will not be entirely antagonistic, I promise.

**Guest: that was incredibly in-depth.**

Yes, that's a habit of mine. I like to put more detail into my writing so that it provides a better picture for the reader.


	3. Awakening

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters and locations you are able to identify in this story. There will be a few OCs, but nothing major.

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Awakening**

_You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!_

_I cast you out!_

_It was a mistake now..._

_to believe that YOU were ready._

With a start, Thor woke up from his long stupor. Breathing heavily, he found himself in a cold sweat, no doubt from the nightmare he had just experienced. He rubbed his head, which was throbbing in intense pain as he struggled to recollect what had happened before he lost consciousness. How long was he even out?

Not a moment later, images started running through his head. He remembered his coronation and how it was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the Frost Giants. He remembered Odin instructing him not to seek vengeance, which he did anyway by embarking to Jotunheim with Loki, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three at his side. He remembered standing before King Laufey, and the subsequent battle with his warriors. He remembered the large amount of lives he took in the fight. He remembered Odin coming for them, followed by a rather heated debate that ended with the same spiteful words Thor had just dreamed of. He remembered seeing his hammer wrenched from his grasp as the Bifrost came to life, and seconds later Thor found himself in a dark place.

What happened next was harder to recall. As Thor struggled, he remembered hissing, screaming... teeth. Thor's hand ghosted over to his shoulder, groaning when a sore sensation enveloped him. Looking down, he saw a bandage covering up the shoulder that that wretched creature had sunk its foul teeth into. The wound itself had almost healed, but there was still a light scar in its place. Other than that, the only thing Thor could recall was a face. A girl's face. It was... alluring. Soft. Afraid. Afraid of him. He had yelled at her. Scared her. Guilt filled Thor, and the urge to seek out and apologize to the poor maiden revealed itself.

Looking down at himself, Thor saw that he was no longer wearing a tunic. His trousers and boots still remained. He looked around, taking in his surroundings, frowning at it all. He was in some kind of pen, with a large fence covering it up. And he was not alone, for huddled up in the opposite corner were two people, both shivering and whimpering.

Slowly standing up, Thor approached the two mortals with concern. Reaching out to the nearest one, a middle-aged woman, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, recoiling slightly when she flinched.

"Are you alright, milad-"

"S-Stay back!" she half yelled, half pleaded. "We're infected. So are you, you... you shouldn't be standing. It-it..."

"What do you mean?" Thor said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Are you ill? Is there something I may do to assist?"

"No one can help us," the other mortal, a young boy, perhaps a teenager, muttered. He wasn't as jumpy as his companion. In fact, he looked worse. Like whatever plague had overtaken him was nearing complete. "Once you've been bitten, your done for. We're done for."

This just confused Thor even more. He shook his head. "You are not making sense. Perhaps I should find help-"

"By the Force."

Thor blinked, and turned his head to the direction of the new voice. Outside the fence, staring straight at him with a look of shock, was a young woman with shoulder length, dirty blonde hair. Looking like she had seen a ghost, she backed away slightly when Thor approached her, seeming to forget there was a fence.

"Who are you? Am I a prisoner? If so, I assure you I have done nothing wrong," Thor then pointed at the pair. "Please, you must do something about those two. They seem very ill."

But the woman just continued to stare, before she finally found the words. "Bayanei! Bayanei, come quick!"

There was movement in the background, the sound of feet running toward them. A black skinned old woman appeared, wearing ragged robe-like clothing. Her tired eyes fell on the girl who screamed.

"Tela?" the woman, Bayanei, asked in concern. "What is it child?"

Bayanei looked at the girl, Tela, and followed her petrified gaze to the fence and her eyes fell on Thor. Her tired eyes widened at the sight of the blonde Asgardian up and about.

"How...?" Bayanei muttered, stepping forward and looking hard at Thor's bandaged shoulder. She suddenly grabbed Tela's hand and pulled her away from the holding pen. "Come. We have to tell Gendar."

Thor blinked as the two left, and pressed up against the fence, shouting after them. "Wait! Where are you going? Come back!"

Thor watched as they left into the dark, depressing looking villa. The pained groans from the two mortals caught Thor's attention, and he looked at them in pity. The needed help, and he couldn't help them if he was locked up in here. Doing the first thing he would normally do in a situation like this, Thor reached out, attempting to summon his weapon and most prized treasure, the hammer Mjolnir. But it didn't respond like it normally did. Whenever Thor summoned the mighty mallet, he would feel like a warm sensation in his heart. There was nothing this time.

Lowering his hand in shock, Thor beat his fists against the cave in frustration. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to rip through the metal cage, and was surprised to find that he couldn't even shatter it. His strength was not as it once was.

"This is impossible," he muttered in denial.

Slowly, he walked backwards and fell against the wall, sliding down to the ground, putting his face in his hands.

_It was a mistake... to believe that YOU were ready._

* * *

Carth stared at the scene before him in shock. The Sith Officer and his droid escorts had been interrogating the apartment complex's alien occupants, and the moment he and Hester had exited their apartment, they ended up right in the crossfire. The officer was confused when he saw Carth standing alongside Hester, a human among aliens. He studied the two for a few moments, before his eyes had widened in shock, apparently he recognized them somehow. He instantly ordered his droids to open fire on the pair, but none of them ever even got a shot in.

Before Carth even had a chance to draw his blasters in self-defense, Hester had unsheathed her vibroblade and moved forward at incredible speed, swiping the blade straight through the officer's throat. The officer had gagged, gripping his bleeding throat in shock as he fell to the ground, dead in seconds. The droids were subdued shortly thereafter by a pair of precise blaster bolts. She stared down at the dead officer, impassive as ever, and glanced up at Carth, noting his stunned expression. She turned away before he could start interrogating her, facing the pair of Duros that the officer had been harassing.

"Are you two alright?"

The gray, bulb-headed aliens looked at the Chiss Republic soldier in slight fear. One of them seemed to get the vibe that she had good intentions, and stepped forward.

"Yes. We thank you for intervening. That Sith officer would have killed us. Thankfully you were here to step in and help us, Chiss."

"I'm happy I could help," Hester said, smiling only slightly.

"Those Sith said you were Republic fugitives," the Duros said. "Is that true?"

Carth was about to get defensive, when Hester spoke up, voice still calm and lacking worry. "Yes. But, if it's all the same to you, we'd like that kept quiet."

"Of course. You did help us after all," the Duros said, smiling.

Hester nodded, before her gaze moved towards the dead Sith patrolman lying on the floor. "You were unarmed and defenseless. Why are they even allowed to do this?"

The other Duros huffed in disgust. "This isn't the first time the Sith have come in to cause trouble for us. Ever since they blockaded this planet they have been combing each and every apartment complex."

"They are especially hostile towards aliens, due to this planet's strict humanistic background," the first Duros spoke.

That statement caused Hester to cock a dark blue eyebrow. "Humans are hostile towards aliens?"

Before the two Duros could answer, Carth stepped in to answer. "Taris was the ancestral home planet of the Humans. Even after thousands of years, it's still unwelcoming towards non-human races."

"Most non-human citizens are forced to live in the Lower City territories, while the human nobles dwell up here in style. This apartment complex only allows us because of its lack of real popularity," the second Duros sneered in disgust. "If it weren't for that blasted blockade, we would be off this rock by now. Let the humans dwell on their cesspool by themselves. Er, no offense, human."

Carth just lifted his hand up calmly. "None taken. Taris has definitely taken a bad turn in recent years."

"You said that the Sith have been combing all of the local apartment complexes," Hester said, changing the subject. She was frowning at the Duros. "Combing for what?"

The Duros just shrugged. "Republic soldiers. Survivors from the space battle. Various escape pods crashed here a few days before the Sith overran this world. Only a few landed in the Upper City, most of the others in the Lower City."

"Did any of the pods in the Upper City have survivors?" Carth ventured hopefully.

The two Duros exchanged uncertain glances, before turning back to the pair. "Well, there's a clinic, here in the Upper City. It's run by a human named Zelka Forn. A nice fellow, willing to take anyone in no matter what species."

"Zelka's a good friend of ours. Sometimes we help him run the clinic to get extra money to pay rent," the other Duros said. "When the pods crashed, he had us take any injured soldiers to the clinic for healing. We made sure the Sith never found out."

"Where would I find this clinic?" Hester said, happy to at least get some information.

"A few blocks from here, near the South Overlook. You can't miss it," the Duros explained.

"Thank you," Hester said, smiling.

The Duros bowed in response. "You need not worry about the bodies. They can be disposed of without trouble."

"I appreciate it," Hester said, and turned to Carth. "Come on."

The pair exited the complex in silence, Carth making occasional glances at Hester, curiosity and cautiousness pinching at him. As if sensing Carth's stare, Hester turned her red gaze towards the human soldier, frowning slightly.

"What?"

"Nothing," Carth said quickly. "I'm just... surprised. I haven't seen that kind of prowess in a new recruit before. I never even had to draw my own blaster."

"I'm a Chiss," Hester said simply. "The Ascendency trains us in combat even as children. We are capable warriors."

Right, the Ascendency. From what Carth learned in school, the Chiss had achieved spaceflight roughly twelve-hundred years ago. However, their home system was in an isolated and remote territory, so they didn't come into contact with other Republic races for several decades. During that time, they slowly built up their own systematic government that was similar to the Republic in its early days. Even now, when in contact with other races, the Chiss were more inclined to stick with their own government before annexing themselves into the Republic fulltime. But, it wasn't uncommon seeing a Chiss in the Republic.

"Well, I'm glad to have a person of your skills onbaord," Carth said.

"Thank you," Hester said. "So what about you?"

Carth stopped and looked over at Hester. "Pardon?"

"Since you already know a little bit about me, don't you think it would be fair if I learned more about you?" Hester explained.

"Well, I've been a star-pilot with the Republic for years. I've seen more than my share of wars," Carth explained, his face turning grim. "I fought in the Mandalorian Wars before this all started."

"I remember those times," Hester said. "It was the bloodiest conflict I had ever experienced."

"Maybe so," Carth said, shrugging. "But even with all that, I've never experienced anything like the slaughter these Sith animals" a sneer was evident in Carth's tone, "can unleash. Not even the Mandalorians were that senseless."

"You're making this sound... rather personal," Hester said carefully. "I take it your bitterness towards the Sith is more than just enemy by enemy?"

Blinking in surprise, Carth nodded slowly. "My home world was one of the first planets that fell to Malak's fleet. The Sith bombed it into submission, and there wasn't a thing the Republic could do to stop them."

"I'm sorry, Carth," Hester said gently, her face turning soft. "That must be very painful for you."

To Hester's surprise, the Republic soldier became aggressive, glaring at the Chiss. "I'm just a soldier. I go where the fleet admirals tell me to. I follow my orders and I do my duty. It just..." *sigh* "It just doesn't seem right that doing that means I failed them! I didn't!"

Hester then became confused. "Them? You mean the people of your home world?"

"Yes. No... no, I... That's not what I mean... I'm sorry. I'm not making much sense am I."

"No, not particularly," Hester said sarcastically. "Is this a sensitive subject for you?"

"No," Carth said rather quickly. "I'm just not to accustomed to talking about my past. At all, actually. I'm more used to taking action, keeping my mind focused on the business at hand. So let's just do that. If you have more questions, ask them later."

Hester frowned again, staring at Carth for a few moments. "Very well. But if this get's in the way of our mission-"

"It won't," Carth said. "I promise."

"Then let us move on."

* * *

"Rukil, you've told many tall tales, but this... this is a little much, don't you think?"

The wrinkly old man clad in rags and turn pants glared hard at the dark skinned outcast sitting criss cross across from him. "I realize my stories seem farfetched at times, leader, but you did not here what the stranger was saying. Alfheim, Nornheim, Bifrost. Those are from stories from long past."

"I am aware of our ancestors' legends, Rukil," Gendar said with a sigh. "But just try to look at it from my perspective. Please. You are suggesting that this man is of some kind of mystical land. It's not possible, Rukil. These are stories our ancestors dreamed up centuries ago before the first hyperdrive was manufactured."

"Please, Gendar, just try to-"

"Leader!"

Gendar and Rukil turned to see the village healer, Bayanai, rushing at them. She stopped in front of them, breathing heavily from running.

"What is it Bayanei?"

"It's the stranger, Gendar," Bayanei said. "He's awake."

This caused Gendar to blink in surprise, while Rukil slowly stood, a look of hope and awe on his face. Bayanei wasn't finished though.

"And his wound is fully healed."

* * *

**Hello yall! I'm back with another chapter. Before you complain about the length, I just wanna remind you that this story will be slow paced. The first few chapters will show Hester and Thor working separately, interacting with different parties before coming together.**

**In other news, I just saw Guardians of the Galaxy and it was flippin' awesome! Anyone disagree? No? I thought so :) After seeing that movie, I'm inclined to integrate some material from that movie into this, such as the Kree and a certain talking tree and raccoon... Tho we'll see in the future.**


	4. Cages, Clubs, and Wookiees

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters and locations you are able to identify in this story. There will be a few OCs, but nothing major.

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Cages, Clubs, and Wookiees**

Two Gamorrean slave hunters trudged through the rocky hills of the Undercity, investigating the source of the mysterious crash. Despite their minuscule minds, the pig people had hopes that this was another Republic space pod that they could loot, and hopefully exploit any surviving Republic soldiers for slave trade. As they neared the large crater left by the impact, they walked up to the edge and peared down.

Their squinty eyes narrowed and their heads cocked in confusion at the sight they were met with.

A silver hammer, lodged in a small pillar of dirt, lay at the epicenter of the crater. In the dim light from the skyscrapers above, the metal on the mallet shimmered slightly.

The two Gamorreans snorted at one another, until the larger of the pair shoved his companion down into the crater. The bullied pig stumbled forward and rolled clumsily in front of the hammer. He stared at it warily, and reached out and tapped it, recoiling almost immediately.

When he saw that nothing happened, the Gamorrean reached forward and touched the hammer again. Snorting, he grabbed the hilt and attempted to wrench the hammer free, but frowned when it wouldn't budge. He pulled with all his strength, but it was all in vain.

Squeeling in frustration, the Gamorrean snorted up to his companion, who ran down to grab the hammer, only to be met with similar results. After another snortfest, the two Gamorreans left to go locate their brethren.

* * *

"...and his wound was completely healed! No scars, no blood, nothing! He didn't seem at all affected by the bite, he-"

"Calm down, Bayanei," Gendar interrupted calmly. "Now, are you certain of what you saw? No one has ever healed from a rakghoul bite. It just isn't possible."

"Not for a mortal," said Rukil, who was following the pair.

"Rukil," Gendar warned the old man. He looked back to the village healer.

"I know what I saw, Gendar," Bayanei said, a little offended that her leader doubted her. "Tela saw it, too."

"Very well. Let me just see him and then-"

"What in the Force's name?" Bayanei sputtered once the three stopped at the holding pens.

Gendar and Rukil went wide eyed when they saw the source of Bayanei's shock. The holding pen doors had been opened. Bayanei ran inside the pen, arming herself with her old blaster in case any of the villagers inside had succumbed to the disease yet, and looked around.

Everything looked the same. The two infected villagers were still shivering in the corner. Except, there was only one problem. Their newest visitor was missing.

* * *

Thor smiled at the young brunette girl whom was leading him through the village. She had offered him a ragged cloak with which to cover himself. Many people were giving them odd looks as they passed by.

"Might I ask where we are going?"

"Shh!" the girl said. "We're going up to the Lower City."

"The Lower City?" Thor said, not understanding.

"The city above us," the girl explained. "I go there once a week to steal some food and supplies. Don't tell anyone, though."

Thor just nodded, letting the girl lead the way. Eventually, they were far from the main village and in front of a large elevator. Pulling a rusty lever, Thor's companion opened the elevator and led Thor inside. Looking around, she saw that the coast was clear and closed the elevator, pressing a keypad. Then, the elevator started moving upwards.

As the pair watched the Outcast Village below get smaller and smaller, Thor looked over at his new companion.

"What is your name, lass?"

"Shaleena."

"Thank you for releasing me, Lady Shaleena," Thor said in gratitude. "Those holding cells seemed rather macabre."

"Don't mention it. The holding pens are not a good place to be in. Ever," Shaleena said.

"If I may ask," Thor began. "Why was I imprisoned there? As well as those other two? They seemed very ill."

"They were infected with the Rakghoul disease," Shaleena said. "We thought you were, too."

"The Rakghoul disease?" Thor repeeated. "What's that?"

"It's a terrible affliction that has been plaguing the Undercity for generations," Shaleena said with a shudder. "It is spread by the Rakghouls. Any bite or scratch from one carries the disease. After a few hours it turns you into a Rakghoul."

"Are the Rakghouls the beasts that attacked me?" Thor asked.

Shaleena nodded. Suddenly, Thor recalled something. He instantly recognized this girl.

"You were the one who I saw before the creature attacked me," Thor said aloud. Shaleena just nodded, and Thor suddenly felt very guilty. "I apologize if I frightened you. I was... confused. I didn't know where I was."

"It's alright," Shaleena said softly. "Thank you... for saving me."

Thor nodded. "I am called Thor."

Shaleena smiled. "Nice to meet you."

The elevator soon stopped, and the doors whirred open. Immediately upon entering, various turrets pointed in their direction. Thor stepped back defensively, but Shaleena put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay. They are just seeing if we are infected or not."

Thor still looked at the turrets wearily, but nodded. He and Shaleena exited the elevator and walked out into a series of crowded streets. Thor's eyes widened in shock.

Other than humans, the streets were bustling with individuals of different races. There were human-looking beings with multicolored skin and strange, tentacle-like appendages coming out of their heads instead of hair. There were creatures with squid-like heads, horns, antennae. Thor had never seen such an abundance of different aliens. A few of them looked in their direction, and Thor frowned when he saw that they seemed to be glaring at Shaleena with disgust and weariness. Shaleena didn't even seem to notice.

The pair squeezed through various crowds, moving past various different buildings. As Thor looked around, he caught a glimpse of a strange flying machine zipping by in the street. It was a speeder transport, but of course Thor didn't know that. Everything was so alien to him.

Eventually, the pair stopped at a large building guarded by a Rodian. He immediately glared at Shaleena.

"What you want here, Outcast? You kind not welcome here."

Since the Rodian was speaking in his native tongue, Thor was unable to understand him, but he could sense the hostility in his tone. Shaleena, who could understand him, just sighed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a few credits, handing them to the Rodian.

The Rodian took them greedily, and opened the door. "You no cause trouble in there, or I give you trouble."

Shaleena nodded, and led Thor inside. Thor was caught off guard by the loud jazz themed music and the abundance of people sitting around, gambling and drinking. He cocked an eyebrow curiously, noting how the drinking and gambling reminded him somewhat of the festivities in Asgard. However, there were also a few people fighting.

Shaleena led the pair to a small table in the corner of the cantina, ordering to glasses of Corellian ale.

She looked at Thor. "I've been able to pickpocket some money from upworlders that have ventured down into the Undercity."

Thor just nodded. "Why did you help me?"

Shaleena bit her lip. "I guess I wanted to repay you. For helping me."

"Well, then you have my thanks," Thor said with a smile. He looked around the cantina. "I must say, this realm confuses me. I have never seen so many different races in one place before."

"Realm?" Shaleena said, clearly puzzled. "You said that before, back when you first appeared. Speaking of which, where did you come from anyway? You just showed up out of nowhere in a flash of light."

"Ah, that would be the Bifrost," Thor said, but frowned when he saw that Shaleena still wasn't getting it. "The Bifrost Bridge? It is the most powerful method of passage through the Nine Realms."

"I'm sorry. I've never heard of the Nine Realms. Is it some star system or..."

Thor's frown deepened. Something was very wrong here. "What realm is this?"

"I don't know about realm," Shaleena said. "But this is Taris, the home planet of the humans. It's in the Ojoster sector in the Outer Rim territories."

None of these words meant anything to Thor. In fact, it made him much more confused. There one word Shaleena mentioned that he did recognize, however.

"Humans? You mean Mortals?"

"Mortals?" Shaleena said.

"You said this was the human homeworld?" Thor said. "Than I must be on Midgard."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shaleena said, shaking her head. "This is Taris, not Midgard."

"They are one in the same, milady," Thor assured. "But still, I must return to Asgard. Tell me, do you hav-"

"I told you to leave me alone!"

Thor and Shaleena looked up at the source of the agitated voice, and saw a small figure being harassed by three Rodians. It was a blue-skinned Twi'lek, who looked to be no older than sixteen. She was wearing a white leather sleeveless vest and a black tanktop underneath. She had white trousers and a pair of thigh-length boots. A vibroblade was secured in a holster around her belt. She was glaring at the Rodians.

"Oh dear," Shaleena muttered, putting her hand up to her mouth in worry. "Mission..."

"You know her?" Thor queried, but Shaleena did not respond.

"Little girl should not be in bar. This is no place for little girl," one of the Rodians sneered. "If little girl is smart, she run away home now."

"Who you callin' little girl, chuba face?" the Twi'lek responded.

The Rodians looked angry at the girl's sarcastic remark, and stepped forward threateningly. "Little girl needs a lesson in manners!"

The Twi'lek didn't look at all worried, which surprised Thor. She merely leaned back against the table she was seated at, arms crossed. She called back to someone behind her.

"Zaalbar, a little help here? I need you to rip the legs off some insects."

That was when Thor saw the creature. A furry, sasquatch looking thing with black beady eyes, shaggy brown fur, and an orange tunic around its torso. He was busy eating a plate of food, and gave a pouty face when his Twi'lek friend spoke to him.

"Mission, I'm busy," the creature said. It didn't even sound like an actual language, just a series of howls and grunts. "They just brought my food!"

But the Twi'lek was able to understand him perfectly. She rolled her eyes. "Quit complaining... you can finish eating later. Besides, you need the exercise, so get over here."

Grunting, Zaalbar stood up, and Thor was shocked at how tall he was. Not even the Frost Giants were that large. The Rodians' smug manor vanished when he approached them.

"We no want trouble with Wookiee," the leader said. "Our problem with you, little girl!"

"You got a problem with me, then you got a problem with Big Z," Mission said smuggly. "So, unless you want to take on my furry friend, I suggest you greenies hop on out of here."

The Rodians looked at Mission, then at Zaalbar, who was growling at the bug-eyed reptiles.

Their leader hissed at Mission. "Little girl lucky she has big friend."

Zaalbar grunted something, and Mission let off a laugh in response. "I know right? Whatever, let's just eat."

Thor watched as the Rodians left, and then looked back to Mission. Shaleena blinked in surprise when Thor got up from his seat and walked towards the pair.

"Thor?" she said, getting up to follow him.

Zaalbar glanced up from his steak to see a blonde maned human male approaching, and immediately got defensive, standing up. He growled at Thor, who paused midstep and looked at the Wookiee warily. He put up his hand in defense.

"I mean you no harm, beast," Thor said cautiously, which only seemed to make the Wookiee angrier. Apparantly, he didn't appreciate being called beast.

"Hey, hey! No need to be rude, Big Z," Mission spoke up. Zaalbar just grunted and sat back down, returning to his steak.

Mission looked Thor up and down, and smirked a bit, admiring the looks on this human. She leaned against the table, arms crossed. "Hm. I don't recognize you. And I know almost everyone here in the Undercity. You an offworlder or somethin'?"

"I am not of this world," Thor clarified. "I noticed those green folk harrassing you, lass. Are you alright?"

Mission quirked an eyebrow. "Green folk? That's new. Nah, those Rodians are just a bunch of petty thugs. Too scared to take on a Wookiee."

Thor glanced over at the furry creature standing behind Mission. He assumed that this was the 'Wookiee' she spoke of.

"I am Thor, blue lass," Thor introduced himself to the Twi'lek. "What might I call you?"

"My name's Mission Vao," Mission said, blushing slightly at the 'lass'. For a human, this guy sure was gorgeous. "And this big Wookiee is my best friend, Zaalbar."

Zaalbar gave a grunt in acknowledgement, and Thor nodded back. "It is a pleasure to make both of your acquaintences."

"Huh. You know I never thought I'd meet someone in the Lower City whose actually civilized," Mission said. "So, what brings you here?"

"He's uh... he's actually with me," Shaleena said, stepping up. She gave the Twi'lek a slight smile. "Hi, Mission."

"Shaleena?" Mission said, surprised. She looked between the two, and a smirk grew to her lips. "You know him? Are you two...?"

Shaleena's face grew red and she sputtered. "N-No! Of course not. He's... just a friend. We met in the Lower City."

"You know each other?" Thor asked.

"Know each other?" Mission said. "Shaleena's easily one of my best friends on the planet. Second only to Big Z. We've known each other since we were children. She's picked up a few tricks from me," Mission paused as something Shaleena said caught up with her. "The Lower City? Are you one of the outcasts? I don't think I've seen you before."

"I am not of the mortals who live below," Thor explained. "I come from Asgard, one of the Nine Realms. I was sent here by my father, King Odin."

Mission stared blankly at Thor, not understanding anything he said. She looked over at Shaleena who just gave a hopeless shrug. "Right. Well, it's nice to meet you. So, Shaleena, I heard about the escape pod crash. Have you looted recently?"

"No, I don't know much about that," Shaleena admitted. "I've been busy with... our guest here."

"Really?" Mission said skeptically. "You had to have noticed the crashes. I mean there were the pods, and there was a sattelite crash recently."

"Satellite crash?" Shaleena repeated in confusion.

"That's what there saying," Mission said with a shrug. "Some kind of object crashed in the Lower City. Some Gamorreans found it and now all of the locals are trying to move it."

That caught Thor's attention. "Move it?"

"The thing is freaking heavy, like so heavy no one can even get it to budge," Mission explained. "It doesn't even look like a satellite, one guy said. He said it looks more like a club, or a mallet or whatever-"

"Take me there," Thor demanded suddenly, causing Mission to blink.

"What?"

"Take me there now. This object. It belongs to me."

Shaleena was looking at Thor in confusion, and Zaalbar let out a few grunts, which caused Mission to snicker. "You own a satellite?"

"It's not what they say it is."

"Well, whatever it is, it'll only be a matter of time before the Sith take interest in it," Mission explained. "They'll be all over it in minutes."

"What are Sith?" Thor queried as he tested the strange word on his tongue. "Are they some form of ferocious beast?"

"That's putting it lightly," Mission chuckled darkly. "No, the Sith are an empire. Like this big army that's at war with the Republic. They recently blockaded this planet and they've been combing the whole place for Republic soldiers ever since."

"The Republic?" Thor asked.

Mission blinked. "Yeah, you know. The Galactic Republic?"

Thor still looked puzzled, and Mission's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? Buddy I've lived my whole life on Taris and even I know about the Republic. Where exactly are you from?"

"I told you. I am of Asgard," Thor clarified. "Heart of the Nine Realms."

"Right. And I'm fool's errand," Mission said, earning a chortle from Zaalbar. "Look, you seem like a nice guy, and Big Z and I were already planning on heading down into the Lower City anyway. You can tag along if you want."

"That would be much appreciated, Lady Mission," Thor said jovially, earning a quirked eyebrow from the Twi'lek. "With your aide I will finally reclaim Mjolnir and return home."

"Meow-what?" Mission said, before shaking her head. "You know what? Forget it. Sure, I'll take you. You coming, too, Shaleena?"

Shaleena shrugged. "I have to get back home sometime. I may as well. I'll have to explain a few things to Gendar, first." _Like how I ran off with a potentially contaminated man._

"Awesome," Mission said. "Let's go, Big Z."

"But I haven't finished eating!" Zaalbar whined.

"Can't you think about anything other than your stomach for once?" Mission said, rolling her eyes. "We can get more food when we get back to the Bek base later. Now come on."

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**Sorry for the delay. I really don't have a timetable upon which I'm updating this story. I hope I haven't incurred any of your disfavor. Anyways, in the next chapter we're expected to see some action on both sides, as well as a glimpse of what's happening in Asgard. Later :)**


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